A&O names Shearman joiner as German managing partner

Gottfried Breuninger, who joined the magic circle firm in 2008 from the Munich office of Shearman & Sterling, has been appointed to the role, according to German legal magazine Juve.

He will take over from Peter Stenz, who is coming to the end of his current term.

The new managing partner will run the national practice alongside German senior partner Neil Weiand, splitting responsibility between operative matters on the one hand and strategic development and partner matters on the other.

A&O was hit by the departure last year of former Shearman partner Rolf Koerfer, who left for Linklaters spin-off Oppenhoff & Partner (21 September 2009).